Page 20 of (Not Really) Faking It With My Best Friend's Brother

I immediately noticed the easy familiarity between them as Ryan greeted Susan warmly. She introduced us, and Ryan and I exchanged a polite handshake, though I felt an unexpected pang in my gut.

I saw he had a badge and assumed he was one of the workers at the retreat, but how did he know Susan so well? I tried to shake off the strange new feeling of jealousy creeping in.

"Good to meet you, Nate," Ryan said with a friendly smile that somehow irritated me even more. "Susan is amazing with the kids at storytime. My daughter Lucy loves her."

I forced a tight smile in return. "Yes, Susan has a real gift with children."

Susan gave me a curious look at my clipped tone before turning back to Ryan. "How's Lucy doing? I know she was nervous about starting kindergarten."

As they chatted, I shifted on my feet, feeling like an awkward third wheel. Ryan was clearly taken with Susan, complimenting her work and making her laugh easily. I didn't like the subtle intimacy I sensed between them one bit.

I jumped in, trying to steer the conversation away from their connection. "Susan, we should probably get checked in. I'm sure they're wondering where we wandered off to."

"Oh right, of course," Susan said. "It was nice seeing you, Ryan. Give Lucy a hug for me."

"I will do that. I hope you two enjoy the rest of your stay," Ryan said pleasantly before walking away.

I let out a quiet breath, relieved to have him gone. As we headed toward the front desk, doubts crept in about what exactly was happening between Susan and me. I caught myself wondering about her past relationships and if I'd completely misread things.

With a shake of my head, I tried to clear away the sudden influx of insecurity. One friendly conversation didn't have to mean anything. I just needed to be patient and see where this journey with Susan led next.

Susan glanced over, her eyebrows knitting together. "Everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, all good," I said, trying to sound casual.

She gave me a knowing look. "You sure about that? You seem a little...off."

I hesitated before admitting, "I guess I was just surprised to run into someone you knew so well."

"Ryan? We just chat sometimes at library events. He brings his daughter Lucy in for storytime. He’s a single dad, so I try to give Lucy a little special attention." Susan explained.

"Right, of course," I nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

Susan nudged my shoulder playfully. "Wait, were you jealous back there?"

"What? No, no, not at all," I scoffed a little too forcefully.

Susan laughed, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You so were! I can't believe it."

I could feel my face getting warm. "All right, maybe a little," I muttered.

Susan slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it. "You're cute when you're jealous."

I looked down at our joined hands, my doubts fading away. No matter what came next, I was grateful to be on this journey with Susan. As long as we kept communicating openly and honestly, we'd navigate this fake relationship territory together.

Chapter nine

Susan

Bleary-eyed, I slapped the snooze button and burrowed back under the covers for a few more precious minutes of sleep. But Baxter wasn't having it. I heard his nails click-clacking on the hardwood floor as he scampered into my room and shoved his cold, wet nose into my face.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," I mumbled, dragging myself out of bed. Baxter let out a happy woof and did a little wiggle dance, his ears flopping around. I couldn't help but smile at the goofy hound. It was my library day with Baxter, which usually meant arriving early to let him have a run around the park before settling in for the day.

We slipped into our usual morning rhythm—coffee brewing, Baxter's kibble clattering into his bowl, and me shuffling around the bathroom going through my get-ready routine. As mundane as it was, the routine had a certain comfort.

Although I had to admit to myself, I was getting pretty good at handling my fair share of not-so-routine days. And I was becoming pretty good at this fake fiancée routine.

I sat at the table to drink my coffee and looked at the ring on my finger. A part of me enjoyed spending time with Nate and wished it was real.

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